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This summer, stay cool as a cucumber with this easy technique for salting and draining cucumbers. All you need is a healthy pinch of salt and a little time, and you’re well on your way to the crunchiest, tastiest salad ever.
When it comes to making the best cucumber salads, I find that unless you take the time to properly salt and drain the cukes, the end product is watery, limp, and less than tasty.
This easy extra step makes extra crunchy slices, takes almost no effort at all, but gives a big payout in the crunch department. You can also add sugar to your salt for extra sweetness (either way, just rinse and pat dry when you’re done).
Table of Contents
- Ingredient notes
- Step-by-step instructions
- Recipe tips and variations
- Recipe FAQs
- How to Drain Cucumbers Recipe
Ingredient notes
- Cucumbers: This recipe works for any cucumbers (standard, hothouse, Persian). Peel and/or seed cucumbers (if you plan to) before slicing and salting. Cucumbers can be sliced, halved and sliced, or cut into chunks before salting, depending on what your recipe calls for.
- Salt: Some recipes call for a blend of salt and sugar, and that works well too. Just rinse the cucumbers before patting dry.
Step-by-step instructions
- Layer cucumber slices in the bottom of a colander, and sprinkle a generous pinch of salt over them. Place another layer of cucumbers over the first layer, and salt again. Continue layers until all cucumbers are salted. Let cucumbers sit for one hour with the colander over a bowl to catch liquid, or set the colander in your kitchen sink.
- Rinse the cucumbers well with cold water. Spread out on a clean kitchen towel or layers of paper towels and pat dry.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: Your true yield will depend on the size and weight of whatever cucumbers you use. On average, 1 8-inch, 8-ounce cucumber will yield about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of sliced or diced cucumbers.
- Storage: Store drained cucumbers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (ideally in paper towels to keep the process going).
- Texture: If you’re using a dairy or mayonnaise-based dressing (such as in Creamy Cucumber Salad), the extra water in the cucumbers could curdle. No one wants that. Even if you’re making a cucumber salad with a vinaigrette, salted cucumbers don’t water down the dressing, so every bite is flavorful.
Recipe FAQs
How do you drain excess water from cucumbers?
Adding salt to sliced cucumbers draws out the extra moisture in the vegetable, through a process called osmosis. Over time, the salt absorbs the water from the cucumber. What you’re left with is a slightly drier cucumber with a more concentrated flavor (that won’t make your salad watery).
How long does it take to salt and drain cucumbers?
Some people insist that 20 to 30 minutes is enough time to drain salted cucumbers, but I like the dryness that an hour gives. You can’t really overdo it. In the Midwest, some cooks make German-style cucumber salads by salting the cucumber slices, placing the layers between paper towels, and letting them drain for up to 2 days!
Do you rinse cucumbers after salting?
Yes, rinse the cucumber slices in cool water before spreading out on a clean kitchen towel, or layers of paper towels, to pat dry.
Put your cucumbers to work
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How to Drain Cucumbers
By Meggan Hill
This summer, stay cool as a cucumber with this easy technique for salting and draining cucumbers. All you need is a healthy pinch of salt and a little time, and you’re well on your way to the crunchiest, tastiest salad ever.
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Resting time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Servings 2 servings (½ cup each)
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 18
4.93 from 13 votes
ReviewPrint
Instructions
Layer cucumber slices in the bottom of a colander, and sprinkle a generous pinch of salt over them.
Place another layer of cucumbers over the first layer, and salt again. Continue layers until all cucumbers are salted.
Let cucumbers sit for one hour with the colander over a bowl to catch liquid, or set the colander in your kitchen sink.
Rinse the cucumbers well with cold water. Spread out on a clean kitchen towel or layers of paper towels and pat dry.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cucumbers: This recipe works for any cucumbers (standard, hothouse, Persian). Peel and/or seed cucumbers (if you plan to) before slicing and salting. Cucumbers can be sliced, halved and sliced, or cut into chunks before salting, depending on what your recipe calls for.
- Salt: Some recipes call for a blend of salt and sugar, and that works well too. Just rinse the cucumbers before patting dry.
- Yield: Your true yield will depend on the size and weight of whatever cucumbers you use. On average, 1 8-inch, 8-ounce cucumber will yield about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of sliced or diced cucumbers.
- Storage: Store drained cucumbers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (ideally in paper towels to keep the process going).
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1166mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
